Was Brighton Mentioned In The Domesday Book?
Yes, Brighton (or Bristelmestune, as it was known then) was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The Domesday Book is also known as Domesday or the Book of Winchester. The book gave a complete historical account of the great survey of England (similar to a modern-day population census conducted by the government), which was ordered by William the Conqueror and completed in 1086. Domesday was the Middle English spelling of the word ‘Doomsday’ and in the 12th century, the authority and the decisions of the ruler of England were considered as final and non-negotiable. The objective of conducting the survey was to put an end to the monopoly of the influential landlords in every shire (or county) of England, who held large plots of land and large populations of livestock. Through this survey, William the Conqueror sought to introduce a new set of tax reforms to clamp down heavily on the wealth of prosperous farmers.
